Various types of services are accessible via a network. For example, a service that allows user data such as images captured by a digital camera or the like to be uploaded to a server for storage in a database that is managed by the server is known. A user may browse the images that are stored in the database of the server on demand. In addition, the uploaded images can be made publicly accessible via a network, depending on user preferences. Such an image upload processing is described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-252152, incorporated herein by reference.
The types and modes of services offered differ from one service provider to another. A user can choose any service depending on their preference.
Service providers offering such an image upload service provide an individual solution for uploading an image(s) via Internet browser, that is, a solution unique to each individual service provider. For example, a client device can perform upload processing by means of the Internet browser. However, generally speaking, this processing is difficult because there are many restrictions unique to the Internet browser.
In order to improve usability, some mobile devices such as some digital cameras have, for example, an upload processing execution program that has been stored in a memory thereof in advance to be used for uploading a photographed image. Or, as another example, such a program is downloaded from a server and then stored in the memory of a mobile device such as a camera. Upload processing is performed with the use of the stored upload-dedicated program.
However, many of such upload processing programs are unique to respective service providers. That is, in order to use an image upload service that is offered by a certain service provider, a dedicated program that is unique to the above-mentioned certain service provider is necessary.
When a dedicated program that uniquely corresponds to a certain service provider is used in a client device such as a digital camera, the client uses an API (Application Programming Interface) that is unique to the service provider. The API is the unit of a program for the execution of predetermined processing. As a certain API is called up, predetermined processing that is specified in the called API is performed. For example, an API is set so as to correspond to each of server connection processing, login processing, upload processing, and the like. A client can execute a series of processing with the use of these APIs.
In the majority of cases, such API is unique to each service provider. That is, a dedicated API that corresponds to login processing, upload processing, or the like that is specified by each service provider is set. Accordingly, a client is required to use such a dedicated API.
As explained above, a service provider that offers an image upload service sets a plurality of APIs that are unique to services of its own. The service provider allows a client to use these APIs so as to perform upload processing. Through API application processing explained above, upload processing such as the creation of upload data that is in conformity with an acceptable data format that is unique to the service provider, client-server communication processing, and the like is executed. By this means, upload processing that is free from errors is ensured.
If a client uses services offered by one service provider only, it is enough to install a program/API that uniquely corresponds to the above-mentioned one service provider at the client side. However, in a practical sense, there are many service providers who offer image upload services. Therefore, in order to allow a user to freely select a service provider among them, it is necessary to install many programs/APIs, which respectively correspond to all service providers, on the client. This is not desirable for a client device such as a camera that has a limited memory space.
In addition, programs/APIs are subject to change and/or update due to, for example, change in the modes of services offered by service providers. If such change and/or update is effected after a client device in which a plurality of APIs and programs that corresponds to image upload services offered by a plurality of service providers is installed has been supplied to a user, it becomes necessary at the client side to update the programs/APIs. If a user is required to perform such updating processing, it places a burden on the user. Moreover, there is a risk of the occurrence of a processing error.